I (Do)n't Remember
by Villain Princess
Summary: Akiza finds out that Carly doesn't remember her time as a Dark Signer or some of the event leading up to it. Breaking the news to Jack isn't the easiest as he really cares for Carly and is the one person he has been looking forward to seeing. But is Carly's memory really gone or does she not want to face Jack after the damage she has done?


Akiza can hear the beeping of the machines in the hospital room. The sun is shining in through the window and onto the fair skin, black-hair woman laying in the bed. Carly. Akiza has been visiting Carly ever since she found out that this is the place Carly has been since coming back from being a Dark Signer.

Carly has woken up a few times but has mostly remained unconscious. The first time she awoke she recognized Akiza, not from past encounters but from the fact that Akiza was a part of the Arcadia movement, in which Akiza explained that Sayer and Arcadia are no more. The second time, Carly woke up Akiza asked her about Jack and the raven-hair woman stared at her blankly; she knows of famous people names Jack, Jack Atlas for example, but she doesn't know anyone named jack personally.

"Akiza," hearing her name the red-hair young woman looks up to see a short-hair bluenette in a suit.

"Mina." Akiza breathes.

"How are you? How is she?"

"I am fine, Carly is still mostly asleep. She woke up earlier and when I asked what most recently happened she just remembers the competition the Goodwin organized and how she wanted to get pictures and interviews of Yusei and Jack before and after the duel for a news report."

"She still doesn't remember?" Akiza knows that despite Mina's feelings for Jack, she is putting them aside for Carly's wellbeing. After all, is there a reason to not like a love rival when said rival doesn't even remember anything about the love for the person the two share?

"The doctor's say that she can be released by tomorrow. The thing is, when Jack, Yusei, and Crow get back from wherever they are I'm not to sure how to tell Jack about Carly. I know you may not want to tell him, but Mina he deserves to know. He and Carly built some sort of relationship and she was is Dark Signer, he was the one that he defeated to save the world. If he finds out that all of the others are still alive he may start asking about Carly and where she is or why she wasn't resurrected."

Mina sighs. "I know Jack deserves to know, but what about Carly? She doesn't remember and what if when we tell Jack and he starts to look for her? What if tries to get her to remember?"

"Unfortunately, we won't know until we tell him."

Mina can only nod as a silence envelops them.

* * *

A month later Yusei, Jack, and Crow are riding across the bridge that connects Neo Domino and Satellite. They just finished it yesterday and are taking it on it's first journey. As they come in to Neo Domino Yusei summons Star Dust Dragon and wipes out both of Jack's and Crow's monsters, all laughing as the duel finishes and they hit the streets of Neo Domino.

"There you are!" A deep voice says from behind them. Turning all three young men see Trudge on his bike. "Where have you three been all this time? You know what, don't answer that. At least not right now, right now there are a few people who would like to see you. And one who may kill you for not contacting."

"Jeez Yusei, I would've have thought that your girlfriend would have calmed down with her psychic powers and anger issues." Jack states.

"Guess being away from Yusei and him helping her to calm down hasn't helped with that." Crow adds.

"Akiza is not my girlfriend!" Yusei exclaims, feeling a blush rush to his cheeks. The other three laugh, Trudge leading them to Leo and Luna's penthouse.

At the penthouse, Leo and Luna are in the living room, Mina in the kitchen making some sort meal, and Akiza is outside.

"Look who I found!" Trudge exclaims as they enter.

"Yusei, Jack, Crow!" The twins say in unison as they rush towards the three young men who have become like older brothers to them. Mina looks up and smiles seeing them, Akiza's ears perk up and she goes inside, a soft smile on her face.

"Guys," her voice is gentle. Seeing them lifts a weight from her chest, but not by much. She and Mina agreed that when the boys got back that Akiza will be the one to tell Jack about Carly. "Jack, can I speak with you?"

"Uh, sure." Jack follows Akiza as she leads him outside. Could it be that she wants to ask if Yusei has feelings for anyone? Maybe Akiza actually has feelings for him and not Yusei.

"Jack, it's Carly."

Jack can feel his heart slow, his eyes widen, and his body freeze. He hasn't seen or heard from Carly since their duel when she was a Dark Signer. Given granted he was back home helping his brothers with the bridge, and now he's here. He hasn't had much time to go and look for Carly and see how she is.

"Jack . . . . She doesn't remember."

"What do you mean?"

Akiza sighs sadly. "I've visited her in the hospital when I found out that is where she was. The first when she woke up she only recognized me from Arcadia, and what I asked what she remembered she only remembers the tournament the Goodwin set up, she remembers wanting to talk to you and Yusei before and after the your two's duel."

Jack's body is completely still, he can't move. He's sure he won't be able to move once he wants to. Carly doesn't remember? She doesn't remember breaking him out of the hospital and spending time with him in her home, taking him to the amusement park? Not even. . . . Not even their duel?

"Jack, I must advise you to not go looking for Carly, don't try and force her to remember. That will only do more harm than good to you both."

"Right, thank you Akiza."

She places a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gives him an assuring smile before heading inside. Jack just stays outside, time immeasurable. Everything standing still. Mostly. Inside he can hear the antics of the others, someone must've pushed Yusei and Akiza into each other's embrace, probably the twins, as he can hear Crow say "Yusei, if you wanted to kiss her all you had to do was do a simple kiss on the cheek or lips, you didn't have to dip her!"

They all laugh except for Yusei and Akiza, Jack is sure, until one of them (most likely Akiza) throws something at Crow and he exclaims with an "ow!"

Jack wants to join in on the antics, the celebration. But he can't. His heart isn't in it, and he knows that if he tries to fake it, it will be very noticeable. Looking down below, he sees cars and bikes on the streets, people on the sidewalk. A car honks and Jack desperately wants to look down, but he knows that if he does his mind might start playing tricks on him, especially after what he has learned about Carly.

Sitting down, Jack lets the sun beat down on his face, eyes closed. He isn't going to cry in front of his friends.

* * *

"So, Carly, how is everything?" Misty asks as she eats her calamari.

"Fine. Akiza hasn't really suspected that I might be lying about not being able to remember."

"I don't understand Carly, I've made my amends with Akiza and she and I are friends now, even Grieger and Kalin talk to them. Why don't you reach out to Jack?"

"Jack and I are from two different worlds, Misty." Carly admits, not touching her fries or chicken sandwich. "He and I are just not meant to be."

"But didn't you say that you and him developed feelings for each other? That you both confessed your love before you were sent to the Nether World after you lost your duel?"

Carly shakes her head. "Jack didn't know what he was saying. "

Misty shakes her head. She knows from Akiza that Jack is stubborn, she just never imagined Carly would be as well. She wants Carly to go find Jack and talk to him, but Carly is living her life as she wants and Misty shouldn't interfere with how she wants to go about her love life. Misty jumps slightly but not enough to notice if Carly is looking at her. She isn't.

"I mean," Carly adds timidly. "I broke him out of the hospital and took him back to my apartment and showed him a little kindness and barely let him out of my sight when he was feeling better after he lost his title."

Misty places down her cup of green tea. "It sounds like you are saying that Jack is a victim of Stockholm Syndrome."

"He is. Once he is away from me for a while he will see that and realize that he and I were never meant to be."

Misty wants to dispute that, reassure Carly that Jack will welcome her with open arms if she goes and sees him now and will welcome her with open arms in a months or a years time. Sure he will be shocked to see her and may be curious to where she has been and how she got her memories back, but he will be happy to see her nonetheless. The only problem is that Carly will only hear Misty and won't listen. Carly has too much guilt for what she did during her time as a Dark Signer, even feeling guilty for going to the Arcadia building and dueling Sayer and then dying and being turned.

Misty places her hand on top of Carly's. Carly looks at their hands before looking at Misty. "Carly if this is something that you are serious about, avoiding Jack, avoiding everything that has happened between the two of you, then why don't you join me on my travels? How about writing articles about the places we are, the people, the food, maybe any current events that are happening. What do you say?"

"Yeah, sure." Carly agrees, sitting back in her chair. Thinking, sure she has agreed to pretty much leave her home, leaving everything she knows behind, but she can't help but feel a little upset. maybe she should talk to Jack, talk to him about everything. But she can't, something is holding her back and she doesn't know what. Something is telling her that if she does face him any sort of thing can happen and Carly doesn't have the heart or courage to find out what it will be.

Maybe leaving will be good for her and Jack. They can move on and forget about each other while meeting other people, and if they meet somewhere down the road in the future then that's fine but for now, they need to be separate from each other. If Jack is to get over his Stockholm (which Carly is sure that Misty is unconvinced he has or did have) the best thing will be if they aren't in the same place. If they are in the same place they won't run into each other and it won't be awkward between.

Yes, leaving is the best choice.

"When do we leave for the next place?" Carly wonders, trying hard to push any sort of thoughts about Jack to the side and not dwell on them.


End file.
